Syracuse City Court: Karen Uplinger and Rory McMahon deserve to stay

Three candidates seek two seats on Syracuse’s City Court, which handles a wide range of cases, from nuisance complaints and small claims to criminal matters up to and including homicides.

Two of those three candidates are already sitting on the bench, and we see no compelling reason to kick off either of them.

CNY Voter Guide

Find and compare the nearly 800 candidates seeking office in Central New York this November, here in syracuse.com's Voter Guide. You'll find a listing and basic information on all the candidates running in more than 450 county, town and city races in Cayuga, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego counties.

Democrat Karen Uplinger, completing her first 10-year term, is a familiar figure in the public life of the city. She practiced law for a quarter-century and spent eight years on the Common Council. She knows the city and its people well, representing clients and working on municipal problems before joining the bench. She is a dependable member of a hard-working slate of judges who are on the front lines of the justice system, dealing with average citizens who are grappling with quality-of-life issues or legal problems, or facing prosecution.

Fellow Democrat Rory McMahon, who has been cross-endorsed by the Republicans, has only been on the court since January, when he was appointed to succeed retiring City Court Judge Langston McKinney. But he is seasoned by his previous work experience, including a stint on the Common Council and in private law practice. He served as the city’s corporation counsel and worked for the Onondaga County district attorney. He stresses the need to be patient with people appearing before him who have little experience with courtrooms, making sure they feel they are heard.

The third candidate is Romana Lavalas, a bright, young prosecutor running on the Republican line. She joined the Onondaga County DA’s office 12 years ago, right out of Syracuse University School of Law. She is direct and focused. Lavalas has handled a variety of cases in City Court, including drunk driving and drug offenses. She concedes she lacks experience on the civil side, which accounts for up to half of a City Court judge’s caseload, but notes civil matters can arise in neighbor disputes she handles. Lavalas said becoming a judge was a dream of hers since childhood, and wants the opportunity to maintain the integrity of the judicial process, protect the accused and, when possible, be a peacemaker.

Lavalas has much to commend her — and a long career ahead of her. We encourage her to continue seeking a larger role in public life.